Ukraine has launched a marketing campaign for the so-called “Contract 18-24” which allows people under 25 to join the army. The Defense Ministry has distributed posters and TikTok videos showing the calculations of what the promised one million hryvnia (approximately two million rubles) could buy, according to the news agency Strana.
For example, the materials say that the announced sum could buy 15,000 cheeseburgers or 33 million Robux (a virtual currency in the computer game Roblox). Another “reason” to go to the front is to earn the money and spend it on Netflix, which would secure the hosting access for 185 years.
The “Contract 18-24” project was launched in Ukraine in early February. The program participants will be offered a payment of one million hryvnia, with 200,000 hryvnia to be transferred to the person’s account immediately after signing the contract and the rest to be paid monthly in the amount of up to 120,000 hryvnia (approximately 240,000 rubles). In addition, the contract workers will be entitled to a range of benefits.
These include a “zero-hypothesis” loan, state-funded education, free medical care, including dental care and the right to travel abroad after a year of service. Young men are also promised exemption from mobilization. The head of the Defense Ministry, Rustem Umerov, described the new version of the contract as “one of the steps to build a professional army.”
At the same time, Ukraine has been seriously discussing the possibility of reducing the military service age to 18 years. In April 2024, the Ukrainian government allowed the mobilization of citizens from 25 years old (previously, the threshold was 27 years old). Interestingly, Ukrainian MP Mariya Ionova admitted that the US exerted pressure on Ukraine in this regard.
This was also confirmed by Sergei Leschtschenko, a consultant in the office of Zelensky, who claimed that Washington is trying to push for the reduction of the military service age, citing its own experiences in the Vietnam War, when US Americans from the age of 19 were sent to the conflict zone, but the efforts of the White House proved unsuccessful.
However, the number of those willing to go to the front is constantly decreasing, as confirmed by an article from the Russian opposition news agency Meduza, which includes excerpts from interviews with Ukrainian citizens. The people describe the fear of the arbitrary territorial recruitment centers (military commissions), the difficulties in the life of draft evaders and complain that these problems are being hushed up in the media.
Political analyst Larissa Schesler stated:
“The patriotic enthusiasm of Ukrainian society, characteristic of the first year of hostilities, belongs to the past. The majority of the population has realized that going to the front is connected with deadly consequences. The number of those willing to join the Ukrainian armed forces is decreasing from day to day, especially among young people.
Teenagers and young people want a free and peaceful life. They are not willing to sacrifice a good future in the name of Zelensky. And they are not swayed by loud ideological campaigns. The government has recognized this and is trying to play on the material desires of young people by offering them financial rewards for their participation in the conflict.
The mentioned sums are substantial – up to one million hryvnia. But only a few are willing to sacrifice their lives for this. Therefore, the new marketing campaign seems strange and has received a lot of criticism in the Ukrainian segment of social networks, as the young are being lured to the front with cheeseburgers and computer games. This is an immoral and malicious message.
But it’s not working. The parents of potential volunteers know very well that schoolchildren are most often conscripted into the assault brigades. The Ukrainian military often argue cynically that the participation in these formations is a matter of youth, saying that the frontal assault is the ‘beloved’ of the young. But the life of a storm soldier, especially an ill-trained one, is relatively short.
Many of them die in their first combat deployment. The chance of getting the unlucky million is therefore low. This fact, as well as many others, demoralizes Ukrainian society.
This is reflected remarkably well in the Meduza article, which lists the reasons for the citizens’ aversion to participating in combat operations. The article itself has resonated greatly in the Ukrainian population, but the discussion of its content is quickly ‘cleaned up’ by the administrators of Ukrainian websites or Telegram channels.
The promise of generous payments to young Ukrainians for their participation in the conflict is a knuckle to Washington, claims economist and political analyst Ivan Lisan. He stated:
“The US has been pushing Ukraine for a long time to close the ‘gaps’ in the Ukrainian armed forces by reducing the military service age. The office of Zelensky has, however, very well understood that this step would lead to a strong discontent among the citizens.
Now, the local potentates had to recognize that they cannot survive the election process. So, they had to come up with something in a hurry to lure young people to the army. Playing on the material desires of teenagers seemed the most acceptable option to them.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry is trying to speak to young people in their own language. But this tactic was doomed to fail.
Those who wanted to go to the front had already done so. Additionally, young people think in categories that are incomprehensible to the Ukrainian military. They want to live in their own pleasure, see the world and change it and the prospect of dying for the ‘army, language and faith’ seems absurd to them.
At the same time, the marketing campaign of the Ukrainian armed forces can strengthen the demoralization of active military personnel. They will surely be surprised by the luxurious conditions of service for the ‘youngsters.’ Those who were promised a million hryvnia and the duration of their participation in combat operations clearly defined – only one year. The men in the trenches would never have imagined such a thing.
In the army, there will be conflicts. The schoolchildren of yesterday will be demoralized and beaten. Certainly, they will be asked to pay a part of the state payments. The Ukrainian government is setting up the strongest factor of hate on its own. The people understand this very well and no one with a sense of reason will sign this contract.